Devotion:
This passage is often quoted as the focus of the primary mission Jesus gave to his first disciples and all those since then. I have certainly seen it that way most of my life in the Church. As his people, we are called to lead and guide others to him. However, I would emphasize that he did not give that assignment to his first disciples until he had spent much time with them teaching them what it meant to be his disciple. So, a foundational piece of our mission is to first be committed to learning what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. We are to be life-long students of this Teacher, constantly adjusting our ways to his way. We are to be constantly seeking the guidance of the same Spirit who was in and guided him.
Even after the disciples received this assignment from Jesus, they still had lessons to learn. Reading through the book “The Acts Of The Apostles” makes that clear. The first situation that comes to my mind is in chapter ten where the Spirit teaches Peter a lesson about how God seeks and accepts outsiders (known as Gentiles at that time).
Being the people of Christ means constantly learning to be a disciple (to live and speak and think more and more like Jesus) so that we can make disciples (accepting and loving and guiding every person we can to know and serve Christ in their own life). God bless you as you live into that mission!
Personal Worship Option:
With slight adjustments, here are the words to two verses of a hymn written by Leon Adkins in 1955, based on this Scripture:
“Go, make of all disciples.” We hear the call, O Lord,
that comes from you, our Father, in your eternal Word.
Inspire our ways of learning through earnest, fervent prayer,
and let our daily living reveal you everywhere.
“Go, make of all disciples.” We are your feet would stay
until each life’s vocation accents your holy way.
We cultivate the nature God plants in every heart,
revealing in our witness the master teacher’s art.
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